Date Thesis Awarded

4-2015

Access Type

Honors Thesis -- Access Restricted On-Campus Only

Degree Name

Bachelors of Science (BS)

Department

Physics

Advisor

Patricia Vahle

Committee Members

Gina Hoatson

Pietro Paparella

Abstract

Following the discovery of neutrino mass and neutrino oscillations, the next big question is whether or not neutrinos violate charge-parity symmetry. To achieve the precision in electron neutrino appearance necessary to make measurements of charge parity symmetry violation, we need a detector with a very large fiducial mass. These large detectors are beyond our budgetary reach and take an incredible amount of time to build. The CHIPS collaboration is building a series of prototype detectors with the aim to lower the cost of these massive detectors and develop an incremental approach so that the physics measurements can be made in all phases of the program. To lower the costs, the detectors will be deployed under the water in an existing mine pit. An underwater detector design relieves the need to build a site to house the detector, provides an overburden of water to block many cosmic rays, and structurally supports the detector.

Recommended Citation

Kriesten, Brandon Taylor, "A Study of the Cosmic Ray Rate in the CHIPS-M Prototype Detector" (2015). Undergraduate Honors Theses. William & Mary. Paper 197.
https://scholarworks.wm.edu/honorstheses/197